Sara's Promise

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

  Without turning, Annie slowly raised her arms, an invitation to William to slip her nightshirt off over her head. He accepted. She wore nothing underneath except for a tiny pair of lace panties. She felt William's T-shirt brush against the skin on her back as he squeezed more lotion into his hands and leaned over her to place the tube on the nightstand. He reached around her with both hands, slowly smoothing the lotion over her flat stomach, up the curve of her waist, then, ever so gently, over her full breasts, cupping and caressing them tenderly. His hands roved over her upper chest and one hand ran gently up to caress her neck, making her spine tingle with delight. He gently massaged her up and down her body, rubbing lotion from her shoulders, down her arms, across her stomach and again up across her breasts. Her breath quickened as he brought her to sensual heights of pure delight. Slowly, he trailed kisses from her neck down to her shoulder, all the while caressing her with his hands. Annie closed her eyes and leaned her head back against him, allowing him to reach the hollow of her neck with his lips. Her desire grew so intense, she could no longer control her strong urge to touch him.

  Annie turned in William's arms and gently tugged his T-shirt up. William responded by shedding the shirt and the pajama bottoms he wore. Their bodies met and molded together, skin touching skin. His hands wandered up and down her back as he kissed her lips, along the jaw line, and down her neck, increasing her heated desire. He dipped down and gently brought one nipple into his mouth, making Annie gasp with delight. She ran her hands down his strong back and up over his tight stomach, reveling in the feel of his skin against hers. Never had a man touched her this way. Never had she felt such heated desire for any man.

  "I want you so much," William whispered in her ear.

  "I want you, too," Annie responded, needing the sweet release that only he could give.

  William lifted her easily and laid her on the bed, then slipped up over her, leaning down to place kisses from her mouth all the way down to the place he knew would bring her the most pleasure. Only after she'd cried out in sweet ecstasy did he finally allow his own release of desire.

  Chapter Eleven

  Annie floated up higher than she'd ever been before, her fingertips nearly touching the silky colors above her. Maybe she'd finally be allowed to float among the colors and feel the warmth of the golden light on her face. Maybe this time she would finally be able to stay in this heavenly place. A shadowy figure floated down from the ribbons of colors and came within inches of Annie. She no longer feared this other being so close beside her. She felt only love and kindness emanating from the womanly form. The woman looked into Annie's eyes, her eyes the exact same blue-green color as Annie's. Reaching out, the figure curled her arms around Annie in a friendly embrace, and Annie accepted it, circling her own arms around the figure. "It's you," the woman whispered lyrically into Annie's ear. "You're the one."

  Annie awoke with a start, her heart pounding. At first, she was confused about her surroundings, looking about the sunlit room a moment before remembering she was in William's bedroom, and his arms embraced her. Slowly, Annie relaxed and snuggled closer to William, feeling warm and safe in his strong arms.

  The dream was changing, evolving, and Annie didn't understand why. For years she'd dreamt the same dream, with glimpses of William's face being the only changing difference. But now the woman had appeared. "You're the one," the dream woman had said. Annie wondered what that meant or if it meant anything at all.

  Annie thought about the previous night and a smile touched her lips. Making love with William had been a wonderful surprise. He had been gentle, yet filled with passion, arousing a desire in her she had never known existed. They had made the sweetest love she'd ever experienced, yet the word 'love' had never been exchanged between them. Did she love William? Or was desire all she felt. Annie wasn't sure, but she knew that being with William made her feel whole in a way she'd never felt before, and that was enough for now.

  William stirred and pulled Annie closer. After a moment, he spoke in a sleepy voice, "Did you sleep well?"

  Annie snuggled in closer. "Perfectly."

  He reached out and brushed the hair away from Annie's neck, then moved closer and kissed her softly on the nape. Leaning up on his elbow, he glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside her. "It's after eleven, too late for breakfast. We can go to Cherise's coffeehouse, and I'll buy you lunch."

  Annie smiled and nodded. "That sounds wonderful. I'm famished."

  As William sat up in bed, he spied the tube of lotion that sat on the nightstand beside Annie. He smiled, remembering last night, then a confused expression crossed his face.

  Annie noticed the change in him. "What's the matter?"

  "I was just wondering. Last night, I saw you walk straight over to the nightstand and pull out the lotion, as if you knew exactly where it was. But how could you know there was lotion in the drawer?"

  Annie thought back to last night and realized he was right. She'd done it so automatically, she hadn't really thought about it at the time. "I'm not sure," she finally said, looking straight at William. "I just guessed." Annie didn't believe that was true, but she had no idea what the real answer was.

  "Hmm," was all William said, then he smiled mischievously. "Well, it really doesn't matter. We made good use of it."

  They both laughed, then Annie stepped out of bed, grabbed her nightshirt off the floor and slipped it on. "Do you mind if I take a shower first? I could really use one."

  William stared at her appreciatively, enjoying the view of her body before she covered it. "Only if you let me join you," he said. She started walking toward the bathroom, then turned and raised her brows in a come hither fashion. That was all the incentive he needed to jump out of bed and follow her in.

  It was one o'clock in the afternoon by the time Annie and William were seated in a booth at Cottage Coffee. Their shower had taken much longer than they'd anticipated, but neither of them complained. They sat by the window with the sun shining in brightly and drank their coffee as they waited for their sandwiches. William had texted Sam to ask if he'd like to join them for lunch, but he replied that he and his friends were already on the golf course and would eat at the club afterward.

  "Seems like I never see Sam anymore," William said, reading his son's text. "He's either at school, golfing, or with friends these days."

  "I suppose that's to be expected at his age," Annie said. "Especially since he'll be leaving for college this fall. He must want to spend time with the friends he's leaving behind."

  "Ugh, don't even remind me. I have a graduation party to plan, college dorm room supplies to buy, then I'll be all alone in that big house. It's too much to think about."

  Annie chuckled. "Empty nest syndrome? I thought that only happened to moms."

  "I guess not," William said with a grin. "Sam and I are pretty close. I'll miss having him around." William looked up, an idea buzzing in his head. "Does Cherise cater parties? I need to think about food for Sam's graduation open house."

  Annie shook her head. "As far as I know, she doesn't cater for parties. However, I do know that she occasionally supplies baked goods like cookies, brownies, or cupcakes for parties. If you're looking for some delicious desserts, she's your gal."

  "That might be a good idea. I'll need a cake, too, but I can order that from the bakery. I'm just lost when it comes to this stuff. I've never put a party together before."

  The counter girl brought their sandwiches, and they began eating. Between bites, Annie asked, "Didn't you plan Sandy's graduation party a few years ago?"

  "No, I lucked out. My mother and Sandy planned it. For the first couple of years after Sara died, my mother and father came up to visit often, and she offered to plan Sandy's party. They're both getting older now and don't travel as much, so I hate asking her to do it this time."

  "Oh, where do your parent's live?" Annie asked. She'd never heard him speak of his parent's before.

  "Down in San Francisco. It's not far, but it
's a long drive for them. My dad had a heart attack a couple of years ago, and it slowed him down. He's doing fine, but he doesn't like to take long drives in the car anymore, so when they do come up, they fly."

  Annie nodded, thinking how nice it was that his parents were still alive, and the kids still had grandparents. "What about Sara's parents? Where do they live?"

  William sat silent for a moment, making Annie wonder if she shouldn't have asked about them. Finally, he answered, his voice solemn. "We haven't seen them since the funeral," he said. "They never really liked me, and they blamed me for Sara's death, so they stay away."

  Annie sat back in her seat, stunned. "Why in the world didn't they like you? You'd think they would have been happy their daughter married such a hardworking man who took care of her."

  "That's not how they saw it. Sara's parents are very down-to-earth, artsy type folks. They live in a small town in upstate New York, where there's a whole community of artists. When Sara came west to go to school for art, they were very pleased. But then she met me and didn't finish college. That upset her parents. Even though we had a good life, they thought she'd thrown away her chance of becoming an artist by marrying me and having children. They only visited once, and they didn't like the house or the way we lived. It was too upper crust for their taste. Sara's mother accused her of selling out for money instead of living for her art. It was all very sad, really. They didn't even care about getting to know their grandchildren."

  Annie stared at William in disbelief. She knew how it felt to be unloved by your own flesh and blood, but to have your own parents shun you, that was unbearable to think about. "That's so sad," she said, reaching out to place her hand over William's. "Sometimes people don't understand how hurtful their actions can be."

  William nodded before continuing. "When they came out for Sara's funeral, they blamed me for her death. Both her father and mother told me that I didn't take good enough care of her, that I didn't love her enough to let her have a life of her own. They said I'd taken her art away from her and because of that, she'd died."

  Annie gasped. "That's awful How can anyone be so mean?"

  William stared at the table. "In a way, I believed them. I didn't take good care of Sara. I let her take care of me and the kids. She never did get to finish her paintings either. She'd start to paint and life would take her away from it. Our life together did take her away from the one thing she loved to do, paint."

  Heartbroken by William's words, Annie reached out and gently caressed his face with her fingertips. Their eyes met. "You know that isn't true. Your house is filled with Sara's love and reflects how much she loved you, the kids, and her life. She would have eventually found time to finish her paintings, if she'd lived. Her parents were wrong to say those things to you. They didn't know how much love you and Sara shared."

  William reached up, cupping Annie's hand in his. "Thank you for understanding. Most women wouldn't put up with me talking so much about my deceased wife. But you understand. Thank you for listening."

  Annie smiled. "I could help you plan Sam's party, if you'd like me to. I've never done anything like it before, but it can't be too hard to find a caterer and order a cake. I can talk to Sam and see what type of food he'd like."

  "That would be wonderful," William said, the sadness in his eyes dissipating. "Are you sure you don't mind? I don't want to intrude on your time."

  "It's not an intrusion, I offered. I'll talk to Cherise. She'll have some good ideas, too. Just let me know the date and time, and I'll put something together."

  That evening, after spending the afternoon with William at the beach and talking with Sam about his party, William drove Annie home to her condo. She began looking up information about caterers online. She still had two months before the graduation in June, so she felt she had enough time to put something together. William had wanted her to stay the night again, but they both had meetings early Monday morning, so they decided it would be best to stay at their own places.

  After jotting down some notes for the party, Annie took out her camera and downloaded the photos she'd taken on the trails at Multnomah Falls, and some she'd taken at the beach in front of William's house today. Several of the shots at the falls were stunning, so she decided to place some on her website as samples of her work. Although she acquired most of her assignments through referrals from the many magazines for which she freelanced, she did occasionally receive inquiries from potential clients who viewed her website. She hoped to branch out from photographing homes and landscapes to possibly working with travel magazines or websites, so the shots from the waterfalls would be good advertisement.

  Just as Annie climbed into bed, William called to say goodnight. Annie smiled into the phone as William told her what a great weekend he'd had and how much he already missed her. "I can't wait to hold you again," he told her as Annie snuggled in bed with her head on her pillow.

  "Me, too," she said, feeling happy and content. "Maybe tomorrow night?"

  "Until tomorrow night then," he said before they both clicked off their phones.

  Annie fell asleep feeling for the first time ever that she had finally found a man she could seriously consider spending the rest of her life with.

  William lay in bed, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts that wouldn't let him fall asleep. He missed Annie's warm body beside him. The realization that he missed her this much hit him like a brick. He'd spent five years sleeping alone and had eventually become used to it, but after only two nights with Annie, he missed the closeness and comfort of having someone beside him throughout the night.

  His thoughts turned to the night before, when they had made love. Annie surprised him. She was intelligent, hard working, and serious, yet sexy and playful, all rolled into one adorable package. She couldn't be any more different from Sara than night and day, yet his feelings for her had grown so quickly, he was surprised. He wondered if he was falling in love with Annie. He'd only been in love once in his life, true love, and he never thought he'd find another woman to love again like he'd loved Sara. Maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe the idea that a person could have only one soul mate in a lifetime was wrong. Although he used to chuckle at Sara's insistence that they were connected forever, deep in his heart he had always wanted to believe it. But forever was a long time, and William didn't like the idea of being alone for the rest of his life.

  William didn't know for sure if what he felt for Annie was true love, but he did know that he couldn't wait to see her again. With thoughts of Annie, William finally drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  Chapter Twelve

  After their long weekend together, Annie spent most nights over at William's house in the warm embrace of his arms. If either of them had to be up early for work, she stayed at her own place. The arrangement worked out well, allowing them the space they needed to pursue their work, yet the time they wanted to build their relationship.

  Annie loved staying with William and being in his house. From the very beginning, he made her feel welcomed and she felt happy and content staying there. The first morning, she ran into Sam in the kitchen. She was still in her nightshirt, and he was just ready to walk out the door for school. She noticed he didn't look startled by her being there.

  "Are you okay with me staying here?" she'd asked Sam outright. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable in your home."

  Sam had smiled shyly. "My dad hasn't been this happy since before Mom died," he told her. "You make him happy, so I'm okay with you being here."

  Annie couldn't help but run over and give Sam a big hug. "Thanks, Sam. But be sure to tell me if I annoy you in any way, Okay?"

  Sam chuckled, sounding so much like his father. "Okay," he'd said before slipping out the door, his backpack slung over his shoulder. After that, Annie didn't feel self-conscious about running into Sam when she stayed overnight.

  She'd also come upon William's housekeeper, Alma, several times, usually in the morning. Each time, Alma smiled and said hello, never ba
tting an eye at the fact that Annie was there. Alma was an older woman who was short and quite round, but she amazed Annie at how easily she accomplished all of her tasks with such great efficiency.

  It wasn't until the second week she'd been staying overnight that Annie saw Sandy. It was a Friday night, and Annie had been awakened by the color dream around two in the morning. Unable to sleep, she quietly slipped out of bed and went downstairs to the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot cocoa. When she was a little girl, her father made her hot cocoa to warm up after an especially cold day outside on a wintry day, and he drank one along with her. It was one of the few happy memories she had of him and, even after all these years, drinking hot cocoa helped to soothe her.

  Just as Annie sat down at the cozy breakfast nook table, the yellow mug filled to the brim, the kitchen door opened. Sandy stepped in, carefully closing and locking the door behind her. After Sandy clicked the deadbolt, she looked up and saw Annie sitting there in her nightshirt. Their eyes met and locked.

  "Good morning," Annie said, trying to sound friendly. She noticed that Sandy looked disheveled, her makeup was smeared, her hair was falling out of its ponytail, and her clothes looked to have been put back on hastily.

  "So, you're spending the night now, huh?" Sandy said, walking unsteadily over toward Annie.

  "Does that bother you?" Annie asked in an even tone.

  Sandy shrugged. "Why should I care?" She pulled out the chair opposite from Annie and sat down.

  Annie kept her voice calm. "Like I told Sam, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable in your home. So if my being here bothers you, tell me now."

  Sandy stared at her for one long moment before answering. "My dad hasn't had much to be happy about since my mom died," she said. "If having you here makes him happy, then it's fine with me."

  Slowly, Annie smiled. She hadn't expected Sandy to be so accepting of her relationship with her father.